Cold Space
by CryoSleeper
Summary: Far Future A.U. for Frozen. Elsa lives a fairly simple life on Mars, doing many things teenagers do - when her life is turned upside-down. M for themes, innuendo and language. Possibly discontinued. Correction, definitely discontinued.
1. Chapter 1

Elsa growled to herself as she stomped home. Passerby carefully walked around the muttering girl, though she barely noticed. Spotting her house ahead, she walked to the door, wrenching it open and slamming it behind her.

A head poked around the corner. It shook. "What's u- wait. Let me guess... Marshmallow." said Hans, as the rest of him followed his head around the corner. Elsa glared up at him.

" Who else? That little f-"

Hans cut her off gently. "I know what you think of him, but you not get through one day without trying to strangle him?"

"If he stops trying to chat me up every time he spots me, maybe." the girl fumed, falling onto the couch. "Maybe."

Hans sighed and sat down beside her. "Keep this up and it's all you'll be able to think about. Just ignore him."

Elsa sighed, getting up. "I'm going to have a shower. And no promises on the ignoring thing." And with that, she stomped upstairs. Hans just shook his head, heading into the kitchen.

Elsa flopped onto her bed, staring at the ceiling. Pausing a moment, she continued debating with herself.

_She's too young._

_She's 17! And it's not like I'm that old!_

_She's probalby not even interested. Plus, her older brother's really protective._

_I don't care! _she told herself firmly and got up, heading downstairs. Hearing voices, she stopped to listen. Her brother's voice came through clearly.

"Thanks for coming over, man. I hope it'll help." said Hans.

"Not a problem, and we didn't have much to do anyways." came the muffled reply. Stepping down into the hall, she saw Hans in the kitchen, finishing dinner; Kristoff, beside him, grinnih at something over his shoulder; and then - _oh, gods, it's her _- Anna sitting at the table.

Quietly walking in, Elsa tried to get close enough to talk to her brother. A laugh and a booming voice came from the right - or more specifically, from Kristoff, as he folded the girl into a bear hug. "Elsa! We were wondering if you were going to come out of your shell any time soon."

Elsa deftly slipped out of his grasp. "Nice to see you, too, Kristoff. And yes, I am out of my "shell"," she said, smiling up at him. A pointed cough from the table grabbed her attention, and Anna smiled over at her.

"Hi." she said simply. Elsa gave a small wave, not trusting herself to speak. Hans waved them to the table, spooning out portions of soup to each of them before sitting down himself.

"So how's life been treating you two?" asked Hans. Kristoff smiled but made a noncommittal gesture. Anna frowned.

"Some great big guy at the school's started annoying me," she replied. "Has some guy called Marshmallow-" she chuckled "-been giving you problems?" she said to Elsa.

Elsa nodded, trying not to blush or rattle her spoon too much. Hans shot her a smirk before turning his attention to Anna. "Apparently he's started bugging lots of people. Some sort of self-styled Casanova," he said, drawing a chuckle from Kristoff. "Thinks he's all sorts of smooth. Gods' gift to the ladies, or something."

Anna grinned. "He's more like a Hermes is what," she noted, drawing laughs from Hans and Kristoff, even eliciting a small smile from Elsa. "Talks like a troll and looks like a Mobian." This drew another laugh.

"Sounds like him," Hans chuckled. "Mind you, your brother... approves... of Mobians. This earned him a scowl from Kristoff.

"All I said was they're not as ugly as Marshmallow." he muttered. Anna raised her eyebrows, and Hans tried to hide his smile behind his bowl. It didn't work.

"While I agree 'mallow is a special category of repulsive, NOTHING compares to the Mobians." she stated flatly, shaking her head.

Kristoff scowled again and turned back to his dinner, ignoring the poorly-hidden grins across the table. The four ate in silence for a moment. Anna looked over at Elsa. "You alright, Elsa? You've been quiet so far."

She nodded, but Hans interjected. "Don't worry, she's just head over heels for you is all." he said nonchalantly. Elsa froze.

Anna just blinked. Feeling eyes on her, Elsa wished nothing more than to just melt and be allowed to die of embarrassment elsewhere. Kristoff abruptly changed the subject. "So how's the team doing, Hans? Haven't heard much about that recently."

As Hans launched into an animated discussion with Kristoff, Elsa focused on her food. Glancing up, she saw Anna raise an eyebrow at her. She buried her head in the bowl again and tried to focus on something else.

As soon as the front door closed, Elsa whipped 'round and slammed a smirking Hans against the wall. "You little.. you just... you.." her sheer rabe and embarrassment rendered her incoherent.

Hans laughed. "Stated the obvious? Yeah, I did. C'mon, Els, it's pretty clear to everybody." he noted. Elsa just growled as he pried himself out of her grip. "Besides, it's not like you would have ever said it."

Elsa just stomped up to her bedroom, where she fell onto her bed and hugged a pillow. She knew! There was no way she didn't! Elsa almost screamed aloud. Damn it, Hans!

A rumble jolted her awake. Rolling upright, she rubbed her eyes. What was that? Was Hans-

Another rumble, louder. Probably not Hans, then.. but what? A third subsonic rubmle, this time accompanied by a tremor, sounded. What was going on? A flash of light came from the gap in her curtains. Opening them, she saw what was going on.

An invasion. A bloody invasion. Starships hovered over the city, pods falling from their undersides and weapons fire lighting up downtown like a - very literal - torch.

A thought rose in her mind, unbidden.

_Anna._


	2. Chapter 2 - Superluminal

**a.n. - I suck at wriing introductory chapters, so I'll keep moving fairly quicky for the moment. Expect chapter 3 in the next few days.**

Elsa dashed downstairs, almost colliding with Hans. Together, they sprinted for the door, barely pausing to grab shoes and jackets. Running o their car, Hans threw it in gear and sped down the street, leaving Elsa little to do but worry. What was going on? Who was attacking? Why? Hans cursed as he swerved around a gutted car, speeding on. Elsa froze.

There had been people in that car. Burned, barely skeletons. She felt sick.

Their own car rocked as a plasma blast landed on a house to their right, blowing it apart and searing the remains. Hans swallowed. This was bad. Very bad. Coming to a halt, he looked around. Spotting his goal - a house - he shouted "Stay here!" to Elsa.

Watching him sprint up the sidewalk, Elsa had no intention of moving. Looking up and down the street, it seemed calm. However, as she looked forwards, a dark, angular shape stepped out of an alley. Elsa stopped breathing.

The figure appeared to glance around. Seeing something, it raised an object - _ a rifle? - _and fired, sending a plasma bolt into a car ahead. Even from her own car, she heard the screams of the people trapped inside. The creature advanced slowly down the street, swinging the rifle back and forth. It paused suddenly, looking almost directly at the nearly catatonic Elsa.

Apparently in response to something, it turned and retreated down the street. Elss breathed a sigh of relief, just as Hans dashed back out of the house... with Kristoff and Anna.

The trio dashed to the car, scrambling in. Hans took off again, heading down the side streets towards a tower in the distance. The spaceport, Elsa realized. Behind her, Kristoff swore quietly. "What's going on?"

Hans looked grim. "Invasion. Apparently, someone doesn't like us here. It's like this on every city on the planet."

Anna looked shocked. "Invasion? Here, on Mars? T-this is the most defended planet short of Sanctuary!" she stammered. Hans looked at her in the mirror.

"Not any more. We don't know who's attacking, only that they smashed the fleet and dropped soldiers all over the place." he stated. Kristoff growled something, and Anna merely whimpered.

The car tore into the spaceport, past the burning wrecks of a number of cars, buses, and ships. Anna sounded like she was about to be sick as Hans drove up to a smaller hangar, screeching to a halt beside the doors. "Kris, can you get the doors?" Hans asked, herding Anna and Elsa towards to the building. Kristoff sprinted to the controls, mashing the Open control.

The huge doors began rolling open as the foursome rushed towards the shuttlecraft sitting within. Elsa almost stopped running in shock. They were going to escape in this? They'd get swatted by those big ships in a second!

Hans seemd to read her mind. "We'll be fine. Get aboard. Kris, take care of them, I need to get this thing ready. Kristoff hustled the girls towarss the hatch as Hans yanked power and fuel lines from their sockets before sprinting up the ramp himself.

Elsa didn't take in many details as the engines roared, sending the diminutive craft spiralling upwards. Kristoff stared out the forward window, looking pale. Anna sat with her eyes closed, hands clamped to the armrests, fingers going white. Elsa reached over and put her hand on top of Anna's. The girl didn't appear to notice.

"Watch it! There!" Kristoff said, alarmed. Hans didn't waste energy responding, just sending the ship into a spiral as a blast went past. Too close.

He slammed the throttles forward, hearing sound mute as they escaped the atmosphere. Elsa glanced backwards, staring in anguish as her homeworld burned away under alien guns. She closed her eyes, tears falling, as the shuttle left this reality and entered FTL.

A dull thump accompanied their exit from FTL. Elsa, still teary, looked around, seeing only stars on the blackness of space. She looked ahead at Hans and Kristoff.

"How far out are we?" muttered Kristoff, as Hans brought them to a halt. He looked shaken.

"Seven AU from Alpha Centauri nine-b. Nice and safe." replied Hans quietly. He turned to Kristoff. "Question is, what now? This crate only has enou fuel for... hundred fifty light years, tops." he said, glancing at the control panel. Kristoff looked grim, but thoughtful for a moment.

"Mobians? Republic's only seventy or so LY from here." he queried. Hans shook his head, slowly.

"Under military lockdown as of the Imperium war. Not likely."

"Sanctuary? It's close enough."

"Fleet base. They shoot first... Neorome? They're reasonable." speculated Hans. Kristoff raised an eyebrow.

"Thought that was a bit far. Worth a shot, though?" he said, sounding unconvinced. "Let's go through the list... Alliance, nope. Republic, unlikely. Neorome, maybe. Commonwealth, too far. Combine, way too far. I don't know." sighed Kristoff. Hans looked up sharply.

"Wait. I heard something about... worth a shot." he said, pulling the ship onto a new course, flipping switches. The stars outside flared and vanished. Kristoff raised his eyebrows.

"Heard what?" he inquired.

"Commonwealth set up a new colony not too far from Alliance space. With this fuel load, we might make it. Might. It's close." he muttered, glancing between consoles. "in the meantime, may want to get some sleep, and the girls, too. It's a 5 hour trip." he said, glancing up at Kristoff, who shrugged and moved to the rear of the cabin. Settling Anna and Elsa into more comfortable positions, he lay down on the deck, and began shoring gently before long. Elsa looked at the inky void outside, and slowly slipped back into the clutches of sleep.


	3. Chapter 3 - Repulsed

a.n. - Things should slow down some from here on out... I suck at intros.

Elsa awoke with a start. Glancing around, she saw nothing unusual - inky void outside, control panels glowing softly, engines humming - and lay back closing her eyes. Hearing her brother sigh quietly, she opened them again and sat up. Quietly disentangling her hand from Anna's, she slid into the front seat beside her bedraggled-looking sibling.

"How're you holding up?" he asked softly. Elsa smiled.

"I'm okay. What about you?" she replied. Hans looked drained.

"Tired, in shock, and still not really believing what happened," he chuckled quietly, "but alive." His face fell. "I just wish we could've helped back there."

Elsa shook her head slightly. "There's nothing we could have done. If the navy and army couldn't, or could we. Did we find out wno attacked us? Do we at least know who... who killed so many people?" she asked, voice breaking. Hans looked over at her, almost crying, and he shook his head.

"No. The ships had no transponders... no communications channels were broadcasting. They just... Mars. I can't believe it..." he trailed off, staring into the darkness outside.

Elsa heard a rustle and a murmur behind them. Turning, she saw Anna's eyes flutter open, loking sleepily back at her. The girl sat up, staring outside, and hugged Elsa. Almost instinctively, Elsa returned the hug, grateful for just friendly human contact.

Hans glanced down suddenly, frowning. An alarm started beeping, and his eyes went wide as his hand flew to the controls, too late. Everyone was thrown forward, suddenly, as the stars came back and the engines groaned in complaint. Hans scrambled to correct their course, ignoring the shouts of alarm and cursing from the violently-awoken Kristoff, when the communications anel lit, and a harsh alien voice filled the cabin.

"Unknown shuttle, this is a Strigiforme interdiction zone. You will prepare to be taken aboard and detained. Resistance will result in the destruction of your... what could charitably be called a ship." the communicator spat, then clicked off. The foursome watched in mute horror as a large, angular ship loomed ahead, drawing ever closer.

Hans reached forward, putting his hand over a small red switch on the consoe. Flicking it, a panel opened, revealing a small, yellow button. Elsa, staring in horror at the ship, tore her eyes away, spotting the small "Auto-Destruct" label. Looking up at Hans, she swallowed and nodded silently.

Before he could press the control, a white streak crossed space, barely missing the alien vessel ahead. Looking around wildly, Elsa spotted the source - a blocky, unidtentifiable hip, closing on them. The communications panel lit again, emitting a cold, but human, tone.

"This is the Commonwealth warship _Repulse _to Strigiforme vessel. Stand down. You are in violation of our space, and our treaty. Do not test me, Captain, I grew up on Mars." the speaker rasped, the newcomer looming over both vessels. Hans looked at it in shock, and Anna seemed nearly catatonic. Kristoff stared up in awe.

Elsa didn't dare hope... it might just be rescue.

The alien ship responded. "That treaty, Commander, aloows us to take prisoners and demand you turn over refugees-"

"I don't give a damn, Captain. You should think yourself lucky that you didn't take that first shot to the bridge. Now back off."

The alien ship didn't move. Then, "Commander, that shuttle is now target-locked. You will stand down."

Anna squeaked in terror as the alien vessel rotated to face them. Hans put his hand onmthe throttle, grip tightening. A shadow dropped over them, and their newfound ally inserted nis warship between the alien cruiser and the miniscule shuttle.

"Last warning, Captain. Do... not... try... me." the human voice rasped. A flash eclipsed the ship above them, followed by a series of flashes and a dull thunk reverberating throu the shuttle. As the _Repulse _moved aside, the group stared in shock at the debris cloud where the Strigiforme vessel had been.

Elsa stared in awe. The human voice came over the speaker again, "Terran shuttle, do you wish to come aboard?" said a much warmer voice. Hans fumbled the communicator, raising it to his mouth.

"Yes... yes, please. R-requesting docking instructions." he stammered, watching the big ship rotate in space above him. The comm system crackled a moment, then,

"Approach and docking clearance for hangar 2 portside, granted. You will be guided in." the system shut off as Hans nudged the shuttle in towards the designated hangar.

Landing gear thumped onto the deck and the ramp dropped, allowing the group to blink at the bright lights outside their small vessel. Hans stepped down the ramp, holding out a hand to help Elsa and Anna down, before turning to meet the young officer approaching them."Hans Westergard, owner of the shuttle _Lucky Lass._" he said, holding out a hand. The officer shook it.

"Sub-lieutenant Jann, of the destroyer _Repulse_. Good to meet you, sir, but I feel it could be under better circumstances." the officer replied. Hans smiled thinly.

"Indeed. May I ask, if you may transfer us to a Commonwealth system, so we migh-" he stopped as the officer held up a hand.

"Apologies, but we will be patrolling the front for another two days. However, we can offer you docking space and quarters aboard, should you wish to remain for the time being." he said, looking slightly distracted. Hans looked at him in amazement.

"We would appreciate the hospitality of your ship. I feel our own vessel may require repairs, however." he replied, as calmly as possible. Anna stared at the hangar, slack-jawed, not even trying to conceal astonishment. Kristoff looked solemn, but saggednwith relief when Hans accepted the offer to stay. Elsa knew she looked half-crazed, but didn't really care. The sub-lieutenant nodded, gesturing to a nearby enlisted rating.

"Spacer, get these four to guest quarters, and see about repairs to the shuttle. Likely an FTL burnout." he said in clipped tones, barely waiting for a nod before hurrying off. The spacer smiled at the group.

"Sorry about that, Jann's just got a chip the size of Sol on his shoulder. I'm Spacer Merrin, by the way. If you'll come with me, we can get you lot to quarters." he said, heading off towards a door. They followed him, mostly taking in the sight ofmthe hangar.

"It's.. huge!" whispered Anna. The spacer chuckled, turning to walk backwards.

"Hardly, darling. _Repulse _here's only three hundred meters bow to stern. I take it you've never been aboard a naval ship?" he inquired.

Kristoff interjected, "First time in space. She's not been off Mars until now." The aging man nodded in understanding, gesturing around them as he replied.

"Reppy here has had the distinction of serving for two hundred sixty four years. Built as the prototype for the new Novan Commonwealth destroyer line, and refitted for duty after her tests. I reckon this ship's seen more space than all of Mars combined." explained the man. "Not nearly the oldest ship in the fleet, though. That honor goes to the _Pegasus_, it does. Almost five hundred years of service, would you believe?"

Hans looked slightly stunned. "This ship is three hundred fifty years old? How is it still even intact?"

"Magic, bolts, and Novan engineering, son. Nothin' like it in the known galaxy." the old man replied. "And here we are. Guest quarters. You're to stay within section twenty one unless told otherwise, okay? If you want to visit the shuttle, ask a crew member." Recieving nods from the four, he gave them a jaunty salute and strolled off.

Entering their new - if temporary - home, they pasued before slumping over on the beds. Shock, sadness, loss, and pain had set in, and none of them felt like talking. After a brief interlude, the room was filled with the gentle sounds of sleep.

Waking slowly, Elsa looked around at her companions. Hans, on the bunk below her, was still fast asleep. Kristoff, opposite, snored gentle. Anna stared back at her, eyes wide. Elsa slipped off the bunk and sat on the edge of Anna's, taking the girl's hand in her own. Anna looked up at her, tears forming in her eyes.

"All of them.. they just... burning.." the girl whispered. Elsa leaned over and hugged her, feeling the silent sobs shaking the fragile creature below her. She held tight, comforting, consoling, until Anna had fallen into a fitful sleep. She herself felt about ready to cry, and crawled back into bed, feeling the tears begin to fall.


	4. Chapter 4 - Safe

**a.n. - There may be time skips ahead. Beware.**

Elsa woke slowly, staring at the celing above her bunk. Drained, and exhausted despite the previous night's sleep, she was content to take in the details of the metal above.

Evennually, a grumble from her stomach convinced her to get up. Rolling out of the bunk, she stumbled to the deck, checking the other bunks. Kristoff still slept soundly, Anna was drooling on herself - Elsa suppressed a smile - and Hans had apparently left already.

Wandering out into the corridor, she ambled off, looking for someone who didn't appear busy. Turning a corner, she spotted the object of her search - the mess hall. Shuffling in, she was intercepted by a spacer, who directed her to a seat.

Gazing around the room, she noted a lack of spacers, save the cook. Hans wasn't there, either. She idly wondered where he'd gotten to.

A plate of food was placed in front of her, and she nodded her thanks to the spacer. Glaning down, she almost reconsidered the term. Calling it "food" was a stretch. From what she could tell, it was composed of some sort of leafy plant, an item resembling raw bacon, and what appeared to be a mass of tentacles.

Her stomach briefly clashed with her disgust, and won. Picking up the leaf, she took a bite. It tasted vaguely of lettuce, and partly of green. So far, so good.

The meat proved to be what it looked like - raw bacon. Wondering why she'd been given uncooked food, she almost asked the spacer to take it back and do things properly, when she noted everyone else got the same. And the other three in the room seemed to be enjoying theirs.

Strange ship.

Deciding to eat the plant and leave it at that, she thanked the cook (and earning a raised eyebrow and a mouthed "vegan?"), before wandering back to their quarters.

Kristoff was still out cold. Anna, however, was staring out the window, idly playing with a lock of hair. She looked over as Elsa entered.

"Hey. How're you holding up?" she said, quietly. Elsa just nodded, falling onto Hans' bunk. Anna sat down beside her.

"Still not sure I can accept what happened. It all seem so... surreal." Elsa muttered, running her hands over her face. "It's like... it was a dream, or something."

Anna sighed. "I know what you mean. I feel... disconnected, almost." She slumped down beside Elsa, oblivious to the other girl's sudden blush. "I just hope everyone got out alright." she whispered. "Oh, gods, if Punzel didn't..." she trailed off.

They lay together in mute grief and horror as thoughts of their friends flooded through them. If they didn't survive, Elsa wasn't sure she would, either.

The door swished open, and Hans entered. Shaking Elsa gently, he woke her. Peering muzzily at him, she mumbled something and lay back down. Hans was slightly more vigorous in his shake this time.

"Wha' you wan'?" came the sleepy reply.

"Ship's commander wants to see you." he replied. This had no discernable effect. Sighing, he hoisted Elsa to her feet, earning a halfhearted grumble for his trouble. He shoved Elsa out the door, dragged her towards a bulkhead where spacer Merrin waited, grinning at her.

Chuckling quietly, he led them through the ship to the bridge, snapping to attention and saluting an older man in the command chair. He got a tired salute in return, and the officer turned to face Hans and Elsa.

"Mister Parker. Miss Parker. I'd like to formally welcome you aboard, and inform you of two things. Good news first, or bad news first?" he said tiredly, slumping in his command chair.

Hans coughed nervously. "Bad news, please."

"We picked up beacons from two Alliance ships. Unfortunately... both were destroyed." he said slowly. "On a search of the wreck of one of those, we found a roster, with a name that had you listed as next of kin. Someone named Eugene."

Hans buried his face in his hands. Elsa could only stare in shock. Gene, dead? She couldn't believe it. She wouldn't.

The commander nodded at them. "I'm truly sorry for your loss. I... one moment." he said, as an officer approached and whispered something to him. The man nodded.

Elsa was almost thrown off her feet as the vessel rolled and turned, accelerating towards some point in space.

Hans grabbed a nearby panel for support. "What's going on? Have... have you picked up another beacon?" he asked shakily. The commander nodded. "A passenger liner. We've detected an _owl _-" he practically spat the word, "frigate nearby, though. I hope we'll get to them first."

"Owl?" Hans muttered to himself. Elsa took no notice, collapsing into a nearby chair. Gene. Eugene. Gone.

She was almost thrown out of the chair when the destroyer dropped out of FTL, swiftly closing in on the hapless liner. Gazing out the forward window, she saw the Alliance ship - a speck at this distance, facing off with a dark, angular vessel. The sight of the alien craft filled her with dread.

The comms officer opened a link. "Strigiforme vessel, stand down. This is the Commonwealth destroyer _Repulse_. You will back off and allow us to escort the Alliance ship away." he intoned.

A low chuckle rasped from the speakers. "You would give us orders, human? No respect! We will do what we please with the Terran vessel."

The commander glared at the alien ship. "Guns, one across his nose. Scrape paint." he ordered. The officer complied, sending a shell across space, just missing the target. It turned towards them, accelerating. A plasma blast erupted from it, splashing across the destroger's shields harmlessly.

The gunnery officer spat something and flicked several switches, bringing their own ship's guns to bear. Tapping a button, eight streaks of light crossed space, slamming into the Strigiforme ship. Its shields glowed white, then shattered. The officer smiled darkly, watching as another salvo worked over the enemy's hull, tearing holes and shredding systems.

The commander mirrored his subordinate's smile as the alien craft exploded, hurling pieces of itself in all directions. The Novan vessel sailed past the debris and came up beside the spaceliner. A beep sounded from the comms panel.

"Thank you, Commander." came a composed voice. "I do not believe we would have survived that without your assistance. We are all in your debt."

"We are merely fufilling our duties." replied the commander, "and the bastard aliens shouldn't be allowed to kill anyone else, if we can help it."

The commander paused. Leaning towards Hans, he said quietly, "Do you wish to move to the liner? They will be heading into friendlier space."

Hans nodded slowly. "Y-yes. We'll do that. Thank you very much for your hospitality, Commander..."

"Valkyrius." the old man smiled. "It was a pleasure having you aboard."

The liner had surprisingly - or depressingly, Elsa thought - few passengers. They were now two to a cabin, instead of four. She was still wondering, though, about Anna's silence.

Since they had broken the news about Eugene to Kristoff and Anna, the girl had gone quiet. Elsa was worried; she had expected tears, anger, pain, something, but Anna just sat there and stared into space.

Laying the girl gently on her bed, she crawled into her own and shut off the lights, staring at the stars outside. Sighting a particularly bright one, she wondered what system it was. If the star had a name.

_Eugene, _he thought to herself. _He deserved better than what he got. _

She drifted off to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5 - New

**a.n. - Sorry about the extended wait. Writers block with a side helping of temporary IDGAF.**

Elsa stared up at the massive form of the starbase. Looming ahead, the webwork of bits and pieces dwarfed the liner as it pulled alongside. Standing back from the window, she heard a clang as the docking collars connected.

A pleasant female voice came over the intercom, "We are now docked to the station. Any passengers wishing to transfer to Commonwealth space are to disembark here."

Hans tapped her arm. "That's us," he muttered, steering her towards the airlock. Stepping through, she looked around, finally spotting Kristoff's hair over the crowds. Relieved, she dragged Hans towards him, pausing only when she saw the scene outside.

Dozens of ships, all in varying states of damage, floated in space. Some were barely more than husks; some, totally pristine. As she looked on, Anna approached, looking slightly disconnected. Kristoff immediately hugged her, looking around suspiciously.

An unknown hand tapped her on the shoulder. Turning, she saw a diminutive figure in a Novan uniform, holding a sheet of paper. The creature looked up at her.

"Elsa and Hans Parker, with Kristoff and Anna Bjorgman?" it (he? She?) inquired. Elsa nodded. "If you'll come this way, please." the figure replied, hurrying off. Elsa grabbed Hans in one hand, Kristoff in the other, and attempted to follow, pushing through the crowds.

The figure ahead halted at an airlock, looking back at them. Elsa sighed internally. More spaceships.

As the four of them entered what turned out to be an oversized shuttle, the little creature outside closed the airlock behind them. Hans looked faintly amused.

"What's so funny?" asked Anna, staring at Hans. "She was just short is all!"

Hans raised an eyebrow. "She was an Aurin, actually. Did you not see the ears?" he asked, miming rabbit ears with his hands. Kristoff chuckled.

Hans shook his head. "Apparentlt they come from the Andromeda Galaxy, but I don't know why she was in uniform." he muttered, taking a seat. Anna sat across from him, looking inquisitive.

"Andromeda? I though nobody had gotten there yet?"

"Apparently the Novans built a ship and let a bunch of others join their trip." replied Hans. "Personally, I think the Dominion made it first."

An amused voice from the cockpit caused Hans to jump. "First they were, but not to Andromeda. Take a seat, please. I'll be ferrying you to Novus." the man chuckled, turning back to his controls. Hans sat, face pink. Kristoff, suppressing a laugh, sat beside his sister, and Elsa stood, staring forwards.

"Who exactly are you?" she asked, trying not to sound hostile. The pilot turned.

"Markus. CSN, and I was actually aboard that ship, mister Parker. If you like, you can even see it over Novus." he replied, setting several controls. The shuttle parted from the station, accelerating away and heading towards a distant star.

Hans muttered something, but was cut off by their pilot. "Jump in ten seconds. Brace yourselves." Elsa's eyebrows shot up. Jump?

Kristoff looked pale all of a sudden. "Jump? Oh, no..." he groans, holding tightly to his seat.

Elsa was about to ask if he was alright when the shuttle stretched around her, space contorting. Everything grew farther away, vision distorting...

And it all snapped back with a flash. Looking around wildly, she saw a planet out the window - one that hadn't been ther before. "What," she asked, voice cracking, "just happened?"

Markus grinned. "You translated thirty-six light years from Hahnsak to Nlvus, in the space of about point one three seconds. In other words, a jump."

Elsa sat down heavily, holding her head. Sneaking a glance, she saw Kristoff staring straight ahead, a greenish hue on his face, and Anna, looking none the worse for wear. Hans seemed to be deciding whether to throw up, complain, or stay silent.

The little ship rolled, diving towards the blue, sparkling world below. Soon enough, they were skimming along the wavetops, but with no land in sight. Markus, apparently psychic, answered her question before she asked it.

"Novus is ninety-eight percent ocean, with just over fifty thousand people on the main landmasses. We'll get to New Darwin soon enough. You've been assigned to stay with a resident here, until you either decide to move out, or some other option arises. Sorry to dump this all on you at once, but there wasn't much time to explain, after Mars." he said, eyes forward. "And for what it's worth, I'm sorry we couldn't be there to stop them."

Hans shook his head. "Nothing anyone could have done. They razed the planet in thirty minutes flat." he said, no inflection in his voice. Anna closed her eyes, snuggling closer to Kristoff.

Over the horizon, a rapidly-approaching island appeared. Watching, Elsa saw houses, towers, and a mountain in the center.

Circling, their pilot deftly maneuvered the shuttle in to land near an isolated building, looking like an old mansion. Shutting down, he nodded at it. "That's your home, for the moment. Hope you enjoy the stay."

Hans looked at him. "And who are we staying with, exactly?"

Markus smiled at him."Funny you should mention that. The PM himself offered to take you on."

He opened the hatch, and they clambered out and approched the house. Inside, Anna turned to Markus, speaking quietly. "Who's the PM? What's that even mean?"

Markus raised an eyebrow. "Prime Minister. And the PM is me."

Hans froze, looking over at him. "You what?"

The older man smiled tiredly. "Indeed. Your rooms are upstairs, and you can ask, should you need anything. Elsa, I'd like to speak with you, please?"

Elsa nodded, slitghtly in shock, and followed their host into a small study. Sitting across from him, she asked quietly, "Why are we here? Really, I mean?"

Markus sighed. "In all honesty? Everyone in the cabinet was about to draw lots to see who got what family, but then we found out the most powerful psionic since Odysseus herself was a Parker. Then the research minister decided that Parker needed to be protected."

Elsa stopped breathing, staring at him. "Hans... is psionic?" she asked weakly.

"Markus smiled kindly. "No, Elsa. You are."


End file.
